Street-car fender



(No Model.)

STREET GAR FENDER. No. 583,734. Patented June 1,1897.

filaimy.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES S. COOM, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

STREETQ-CAR FENDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 583,734, dated June 1, 1897.

Application filed March 5 I 1897.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES S. (100M, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Street-Oar Fender, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to street-car fenders designed to be carried in front of and attached to the car, as shown in Figure 1, which illustrates a side elevation view of my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, half of the figure being drawn with the nets removed in order to better show the framing.

Referring to the views, 1 1 are the longitudinal frame members, to which the principal parts of my device are attached. They are supported and held in position through pivot attachments 3 3 to the brackets 2 2, which attach to the car fender or bumper by some such means as the hangers 4 4 and couplingpins 5 5. Lugs 6 6, fastened to the brackets 2 2, bear down upon the inner ends of the frames 1 1 to prevent their rising at that end. These frames are also connected with each other by the rigid tie-rod members 7 8. The brackets 2 2 are likewise rigidly connected together by the tie-rod 13. A net 15 extends across between these brackets. At the outer ends of the frames 1 1 is carried the slanting net-frame '9, hinged at 10 10 and having stretched across it the network 12. The small wheels 11, carried suspended at each lower end of this frame 9,'are for the purpose of causing it to ride upward and forward (about the hinges 1O 10) if the front end of the car should dip sufficiently to bring these wheels to the ground. Slotted hangers 16 are freely suspended each side from the frames 1 1 and are connected together by the rigid tie-rod 17. Two other slotted hangers 18 18 are likewise freely suspended each side from the 7 frames 1 1, their lower ends being connected by the rigid tie-rod 19. A net 20, attached at its upper end to tie-rod 13, passes down and under tie-rod 19 of inclined hangers 1S and fastens to thelower ends of vertical hangers 16. These latter are sufficiently weighted to hang about vertically and keep the net 20 taut and the hangers 18 in an inclined position, as shown. Near the back end Serial No. 625,983. (No model.)

of the frames 1 1 are carried the vertical riding-posts or long bolts 21 21, at the lower ends of which are the wheels 22, kept in contact with the ground by pressure of intermediate coil-spring 23, confined between the frames, and a suitable boss 24 on post 21, which also carries a forwardly and downwardly inclined arm- 25, having a lateral projecting surface to serve as a wheel-guard, and fastened together at their lower ends by the rigid tie-rod member 26. Suspended between and attached to the tie-rods 7 and 26 is the net 27.

The operation of my device is as follows: A person falling against the inclined net 12 causes it to tip backward, at the same time being lifted on its surface. The spring-bolts 14 14 receive the descending frame 9 and prevent jar. The net 15 also assists in receiving the person. If the person has fallen before the approaching car, the lower end of slanting frame 9 rides up and over him and the front edge of apron 20 is encountered, (being carried but a few inches above the ground,) the swinging backward of arms 16 18 permitting it to come at once to the ground, when the person will be rolled into it. If for any reason the first two devices just described should fail to pick up the person, the net 27 affords a third means of rescue.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and original, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a street-car fender the combination of an inclined rotatable anterior frame-net; a separate posterior superior net or apron; an inclined inferior tensioned net or apron; a posterior inferior net or apron; with suitable framing and attaching devices for supporting and operating the same; substantially as shown.

2. In a streetcar fender the combination of the vertically-movable posts 21, provided at their lower ends with roller 22, depending arm and ledge 25, coil-spring 23; and apron 27; with suitable means for attaching same to a street-car bumper; substantially as shown.

CHARLES s. cooM.

Witnesses:

J os. N. PRICE,

F. STRATTON. 

